This is health care in America: Nursing home patient left to burn up and die by medical staff

[donnay]

This is health care in America: Nursing home patient left to burn up and die by medical staff

by: J. D. Heyes

You wouldn't think such things could happen in America, but with today's heavily regulated medical industry, which has left hospitals and nursing facilities chronically short of help and undertrained, you can expect such incidents to climb.

According to CBSChicago, Michael Lewis, a patient rehabilitating at the Lake Shore Healthcare and Rehabilitation Centre, was coming close to the end of his stay recently when something tragic happened.

"He burned to death," says his sister, Lisa Couch. Literally. "He sustained burns from mid-thigh up to the eyebrows."

Clinic personnel inadequately trained and did the wrong things

The disturbing video footage shot by the rehab center's security cam is here (http://chicago.cbslocal.com/video/9364483-2-investigators-nursing-home-patient-catches-fire-is-left-to-smolder/). The footage, which is disturbing, "shows Lewis on the patio, a designated smoking area, when the lighter in his pocket suddenly catches his shirt on fire. Residents try, but fail, to put out the flames. Lewis then frantically pushes himself back inside to get help," CBSChicago reported.

As you can see in the video, there was no one outside to keep an eye on the patients there.

"The horror, to think my brother is on fire and no one is there?" Couch says.

As you watch the video, you can see frantic rehab center workers inside of the building. Eventually, staff members spray Lewis with a nearby fire extinguisher - which was exactly the wrong thing to do, according to state nursing home regulators - then he is pushed back outside, where his body continues to smolder and where he sat, motionless, covered in foam.

"Doesn't look like they were trying to take care of Michael," his sister says.

Dr. Stanley Zydlo, an emergency response expert, watched the video and says there were numerous additional problems.

"There didn't seem to be anybody in control as to who was to do what," Zydlo told CBSChicago. He added that Lewis - or anyone whose clothing is on fire - should have used a blanket to cover himself immediately, in order to choke off the oxygen feeding the flames. Afterward, someone should have made sure Lewis had an adequate airway to breath, as breathing in flames often can cause an airway to swell shut. No one was doing much of anything, however.

It took more than five minutes for a worker in blue scrubs to even bring Lewis some oxygen.

"We don't see anybody evaluating him or doing CPR for him," Zydlo said.

As noted on the security cam, no one was performing potentially life-saving CPR on Lewis. That didn't happen until EMS crews from the Chicago Fire Department arrived on the scene, but by then, critical moments had elapsed.

When they found him, Lewis was in cardiac arrest. It took a total of 10 minutes after the flames engulfed him until CPR was initiated. But it didn't do much good.

Rules, regulations will only make things worse

In an interview with CBSChicago, Zydlo says someone should have put damp sheets on Lewis.

"The burn process is progressive unless you cool it down," he said. "It will continue."

Not surprising, officials and healthcare workers at the rehab facility refused to discussed Lewis' death. Instead, they cited privacy laws in a statement explaining why no one could - or would be - commenting.

State regulators reportedly went on to cite the facility for failing to adequately train staff in emergency procedures.

"There was no one there to help him," said Couch, sadly, adding that she has filed a wrongful death suit against Lakeshore HealthCare and Rehabilitation Centre.

Because the incredible regulatory burdens placed on healthcare facilities - even before Obamacare's provisions require workers to comply with hundreds more - these kinds of things are happening. Anyone who believes such gross mistakes will only improve under a wave of new rules and mandates is fooling himself.

Sources:

http://chicago.cbslocal.com

http://chicago.cbslocal.com

http://www.nydailynews.com

Source:
http://www.naturalnews.com/042386_nursing_home_patient_medical_staff_burned_t o_death.html#ixzz2h8Pr2j3e

[tod evans]

This will only result in no smoking legislation for the old folks.

Nothing will change with government funded healthcare.

[donnay]

This will only result in no smoking legislation for the old folks.

Nothing will change with government funded healthcare.


Indeed. That was my first thought. These people are always in to shift the blame elsewhere. I love how the nursing home facility cited "privacy" with regards to not answering questions. How well would that work for us?

I know for a fact that the nursing home/Rehab facility my father was in; the personnel were not adequately trained. If a patient was having a heart attack or difficulty breathing they would call 9/11. I also observed, with dismay, the uncaring and lacking any empathy the staff had towards the patients in need. It was disgusting. I would rather die in my home than to be shuffled off to one of these facilities!

[tod evans]

Indeed. That was my first thought. These people are always in to shift the blame elsewhere. I love how the nursing home facility cited "privacy" with regards to not answering questions. How well would that work for us?

I know for a fact that the nursing home/Rehab facility my father was in; the personnel were not adequately trained. If a patient was having a heart attack or difficulty breathing they would call 9/11. I also observed, with dismay, the uncaring and lacking any empathy the staff had towards the patients in need. It was disgusting. I would rather die in my home than to be shuffled off to one of these facilities!

My grandmother opted to spend her last year in an assisted living facility within 50 miles of the place in the OP, it was like the Taj Mahal for old folks and it cost accordingly... No such issues there.

[donnay]

My grandmother opted to spend her last year in an assisted living facility within 50 miles of the place in the OP, it was like the Taj Mahal for old folks and it cost accordingly... No such issues there.

My father didn't have the option. :( Sadly, the reason he was sent to this facility is because the doctors working on him told my mother that he could no longer stay in the hospital, medicare/private insurance would no longer pay for hospital care. They had him on a ventilator and sedated that my mother could not take him home.

[dinosaur]

My father didn't have the option. :( Sadly, the reason he was sent to this facility is because the doctors working on him told my mother that he could no longer stay in the hospital, medicare/private insurance would no longer pay for hospital care. They had him on a ventilator and sedated that my mother could not take him home.

Ugh, I'm so sorry. Often the drugs they use to sedate insure that the patient never comes off the ventilator. Morphine can do this. Word of warning to everyone, give medical power of attorney to someone you trust; because there is no way to refuse morphine without it. A living will just gives more power to doctors. I'm not a medical professional, but am just speaking from experience with the system.

[tod evans]

Ugh, I'm so sorry. Often the drugs they use to sedate insure that the patient never comes off the ventilator. Morphine can do this. Word of warning to everyone, give medical power of attorney to someone you trust; because there is no way to refuse morphine without it. A living will just gives more power to doctors.

I will take my opiates to the woods thank you very much.

My family is fully aware of my position on any type of imprisonment.

[dinosaur]

I will take my opiates to the woods thank you very much.

My family is fully aware of my position on any type of imprisonment.

Imprisonment is the right word. I got my dad off of morphine and off of the ventilator. But someone had to be awake and vigilant 24/7 because they would slip it to him if we weren't looking. He recovered.

[donnay]

Imprisonment is the right word. I got my dad off of morphine and off of the ventilator. But someone had to be awake and vigilant 24/7 because they would slip it to him if we weren't looking. He recovered.

I was in the same boat. My mother got sick in January with the flu --while my father was in this god-forsaken facility. I was 1800 miles away. My younger sister drove my mom to the ER. They wound up putting her on a ventilator and put her in ICU. I flew down, and for 12 days they sedated her with Propfol (Milk of Amnesia) along with morphine. To make a long story short, I was a thorn in the side of the doctors and nurses. I made them take the ventilator out and stop giving her morphine (which she was having a severe reaction too). After 21 days went by I pulled my mother out of the hospital against medical advice. The doctor came over to me and told me my mother would never make it in my care--this was the same doctor that incapacitated my father, mind you.

Well, 9 months have passed, my mother is alive (thank God) and well and doing better than ever. My father passed in March.

I now have medical power of attorney over my mother.

[dinosaur]

She is alive because of you. My father would have died if I didn't have a family member who was an anesthesiologist to alert me to what was going on. I also got the doctor prescribing pain medication in the hospital to admit it to me in a very hushed tone (side glancing to make sure no one saw, secretly) that I was doing the right thing. Morphine suppresses breathing, but apparently medical science is coming out with new studies to try to justify the common practice of giving it to people who are on ventilators. Not everyone has family to fight for them; it makes you wonder.


A report written by an OHSU physician with more than a half century of medical experience contradicts both public and professional bias against the use of morphine in the final stage of life for patients with breathing difficulties. Because large amounts of morphine slows breathing, doctors have avoided prescribing the drug to dying patients with breathing difficulties for fear it would shorten life. However, the author of this new case series suggests that some patients who receive an appropriate level of morphine live a little longer because their fear and struggle for breath are reduced. The research is published in the current issue of the Journal of Palliative Care. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/11/051130230447.htm

Keyword, a "little" longer. The article goes on to admit that it is still only appropriate for dying patients. By the way, my father had very bad reactions (hallucinations and nightmares) to morphine as well. It is the only part of the whole experience that he remembers.

[angelatc]

My grandmother opted to spend her last year in an assisted living facility within 50 miles of the place in the OP, it was like the Taj Mahal for old folks and it cost accordingly... No such issues there.

My MIL was a nurse in a long term care facility. It was like any other job, some people were more professional than others. She was a nurse so she could pick anywhere she wanted to work, but she worked there because she liked old people and was very good with them

[donnay]

She is alive because of you. My father would have died if I didn't have a family member who was an anesthesiologist to alert me to what was going on. I also got the doctor prescribing pain medication in the hospital to admit it to me in a very hushed tone (side glancing to make sure no one saw, secretly) that I was doing the right thing. Morphine suppresses breathing, but apparently medical science is coming out with new studies to try to justify the common practice of giving it to people who are on ventilators. Not everyone has family to fight for them; it makes you wonder.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/11/051130230447.htm

Keyword, a "little" longer. The article goes on to admit that it is still only appropriate for dying patients. By the way, my father had very bad reactions (hallucinations and nightmares) to morphine as well. It is the only part of the whole experience that he remembers.


And your father is alive because of you. I only pray that my children will take an interest and fight the good fight.

The morphine issue...they had my father on morphine for seven months straight. My mother would get so discouraged because he slept all the time. When he opened his eyes he had no clue who any of us were. I am convinced it was so much easier to keep him sedated, this way they didn't have to tend to them much. The worst part was my father wound up getting bed sores because of it--the heels of his feet were also black. There was absolutely no reason for him to get these sores if they moved him daily. It was so bad that it was the infection (that went all through his body), that ultimately killed him.

[dinosaur]

And your father is alive because of you. I only pray that my children will take an interest and fight the good fight.

The morphine issue...they had my father on morphine for seven months straight. My mother would get so discouraged because he slept all the time. When he opened his eyes he had no clue who any of us were. I am convinced it was so much easier to keep him sedated, this way they didn't have to tend to them much. The worst part was my father wound up getting bed sores because of it--the heels of his feet were also black. There was absolutely no reason for him to get these sores if they moved him daily. It was so bad that it was the infection (that went all through his body), that ultimately killed him.


Killed by morphine, I'm so sorry. The nurses and doctors really have faith in their training. They used some pretty severe bullying techniques on me to get me to submit my father to their treatments, but I kept cool and calm and gave them a very polite "no thank you." This was on the advice of a medical doctor/lawyer. He just shook his head and said that there were plenty of horror stories at that hospital, and that I should just stand firm and get my father out of there any way possible, as soon as possible. They were trying to get a reaction out of me so that they could note that on their chart and use to take control over the patient. I got copies of my father's medical record and there was very little about him in them. They were all about us, a detailed record of everything the family did and said hour by hour. If I ever absolutely have to have surgery myself, I will be sure to tell them "morphine" when asked if I have allergies to any medications.

[donnay]

Killed by morphine, I'm so sorry. The nurses and doctors really have faith in their training. They used some pretty severe bullying techniques on me to get me to submit my father to their treatments, but I kept cool and calm and gave them a very polite "no thank you." This was on the advice of a medical doctor/lawyer. He just shook his head and said that there were plenty of horror stories at that hospital, and that I should just stand firm and get my father out of there any way possible, as soon as possible. They were trying to get a reaction out of me so that they could note that on their chart and use to take control over the patient. I got copies of my father's medical record and there was very little about him in them. They were all about us, a detailed record of everything the family did and said hour by hour. If I ever absolutely have to have surgery myself, I will be sure to tell them "morphine" when asked if I have allergies to any medications.

That is the thing to do--I am allergic to __________. Yes, and all the so-called professionals, I had to cross paths with (a few exceptions) had the condescending attitudes and tried very hard to intimidate me. Funny you should mention the medical records on my mother's chart there was more about me than my mother--you are absolutely right!

A friend of the family went to this same hospital a few weeks after I got my mother out. When I walked in to the ICU area I was asked to leave--they used the excuse that I was not immediate family. So I was barred from this hospital because of the stink I made. Oh and the friend (who coincidentally had the same pulmonologist as both my parents) died on the same day as my dad. :mad:

[Zippyjuan]

Sounds like a tragic incident- not caused by the healtcare system. Could have happened anywhere.


The disturbing video footage shot by the rehab center's security cam is here. The footage, which is disturbing, "shows Lewis on the patio, a designated smoking area, when the lighter in his pocket suddenly catches his shirt on fire. Residents try, but fail, to put out the flames. Lewis then frantically pushes himself back inside to get help," CBSChicago reported.

[donnay]

Sounds like a tragic incident- not caused by the healtcare system. Could have happened anywhere.


The point is the way the staff put out the fire was to use a fire extinguisher on him. After they extinguished the fire they rolled him back out--his skin continued to burn. No one checked the man's pulse or even checked to see if he was breathing--this was critical. It wasn't until the EMT's showed up and tried administering CPR on the man--critical minutes already elapsed and the man died.

To me this is a sheer case of negligence and I hope the family sue the hell out of this facility. I know it doesn't bring back their loved one, but it will shine a light to this type negligence.

[DamianTV]

When people can be held accountable for expected appropriate actions (lack of actions), they tend to behave differently (better) than when they have Zero Accountability. Look at Big pHARMa. Nearly Zero Accountability when their products cause HARM to people. Look at Obamacare. Look at the Medical Industry in general. Very little Accountability. Thus, irresponsible behavior which is what leads to the HARM of innocents.